UIC opened play at the WMU Vredevelt Invite with wins in singles and doubles play against a talented field.

Two rounds of doubles opened the day.  Johan Hedstrom and Kasper Parlklo fell to Notre Dame's Gota and Small, 6-2, in their first match.  The Flames duo bounced back with a dominating, 6-0 win over a pair from Illinois State.

Pelle Strandberg and Luiz Dos Santos fared even better.  They defeated a familiar foe from ISU, Le Gal Perez and Lew, 6-4 in the first round.  Then they topped Mariados and Somers from Notre Dame, 7-6 (6) to finish the opening day as one of only three unbeaten doubles teams.

One round of singles was contested to close out day one.  Strandberg was the only Flame to win his match in the single-bracket event.  He took down Mariados, 6-2, 5-7, 10-5.  Elsewhere, Hedstrom fell to the Fighting Irish' Fu, 6-2, 6-1; and Parlklo was on the wrong end of a 6-2, 6-3 match against Bartra (ISU).  Dos Santos drew Michigan State's Campbell in the first round and ended up losing, 6-2, 6-1.

Play will continue Saturday morning and the invitational will conclude on Sunday.